Anthony Albanese begins a three-day trip to Fiji and the Solomon Islands; First Nations culture celebrated during NAIDOC Week; And in football, What's next for the Socceroos after the World Cup.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- Anthony Albanese begins a three-day trip to Fiji and the Solomon Islands
- First Nations culture celebrated during NAIDOC Week
- What's next for the Socceroos after the World Cup?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is travelling to Fiji to begin a three-day trip of Pacific nations.
In Fiji, Mr Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will meet with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to discuss deepening the Vuvale Partnership.
The trip will also include a visit to Solomon Islands and a meeting with Prime Minister Matthew Wale during the country's Independence Day celebrations.
Mr Albanese says the meeting will also be a chance to elevate the bilateral relationship through a comprehensive treaty on the basis of mutual trust, respect and open dialogue.
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Events are being held around the country to mark the start of NAIDOC Week, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.
NAIDOC Week runs from the 5th to the 12th of July.
Organisers say this year's theme of '50 Years of Deadly' recognises the five decades of leadership and cultural authority that carried the movement forward.
NAIDOC co-chair Lynette Riley says the week provides an opportunity to appreciate the diversity of Australia's Indigenous cultures, and recognise the ongoing fight for change and justice.
"There is very, very little understanding that the societal impacts that Aboriginal people face today of extreme poverty, incarceration, high ill health, etc, etc, is really due to all of those government policies and practices that have a impact on us intergenerationally. That's what it's about. Let's celebrate the excellence of, of what we've got in this country. Our ingenuity, our work on country."
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Crowds have gathered in Tehran for the public funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Ali Khamenei.
Mourners are lining the streets as authorities begin a week of ceremonies they say symbolise the country's resilience following the recent war with Israel and the United States.
Among those attending the funeral is Rosbeh Sharifi, who says the response to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader should focus on weakening the United States and Israel's global influence.
"So far, we have not been able to avenge our leader in the true sense. God willing, if we can shatter their power and prestige around the world, then we will have avenged him. Avenging our leader does not mean personally killing Trump or Netanyahu. Their standing in the world must be broken, and the United States must be driven out of the Middle East."
Authorities have organised transport, food and accommodation as they prepare for millions of people to take part in funeral processions over the coming days.
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Socceroos coach Tony Popovic says he is proud of the team for their performance at the World Cup, after they were eliminated from the competition.
The team lost a penalty shootout against Egypt 4-2, denying Australia the chance to achieve a victory for the first time in a World Cup knockout game.
Popovic says there will be opportunities to further strengthen the team, but it is important to reflect on what has been achieved.
"Hopefully, we can take a step forward again with the Asian Cup, which is coming up again in January. And then in four years time, let's have bigger targets, bigger expectations. Being at a World Cup is not easy, to firstly, arrive to qualify. We can't take this for granted, what we have achieved and we need it to keep growing and hopefully, if we get to this point again in four years time, we can take that next step; and progress."
And you can watch all the World Cup matches live on SBS and SBS On Demand. There is also extended coverage with our special World Cup podcast, the 90+.
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To sport and in football, Morocco is through to the quarter-finals after beating Canada 3-nil.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and added a late third via substitute Soufiane Rahimi.
The side ended a record run in the tournament for the co-hosts, dashing hopes for Canadian fans who had shared their hopes before the game.
"This is like a big milestone for us. The guys have fought so hard and like I think a lot of people are underestimating them and like, you know, do that at their peril. Canada's coming for them and let's go."
Morocco will face the winners of Saturday’s round of 16 clash between Paraguay and France in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
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The director of the Tour de France says Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar is the "undeniable favourite" for this year's race, which begins in Barcelona this weekend.
The Slovenian, twice defending champion, is bidding for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France.
His main rival will once again be Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard.
Race director Christian Prudhomme says taking the crown won't be easy.
"Pogacar is obviously the favourite for the Tour de France, that's what I heard; and that's what I'm seeing on the roadside of the Tour. And judging by the applause, it seems to me that he's quite popular too."
